On June 18, 2004, Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID) released a document that outlines the components of his “Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Proposal” which proposes, among numerous other recreation and economic development provisions, to designate significant Wilderness Areas in the Boulder and White Cloud Mountains of central Idaho.
Rep. Simpson will be holding three town hall meetings in Ketchum, Stanley and Challis on July 1 and 2 to gather public comment on the framework.
In his public statement, Simpson said, “This is not legislation, rather concepts that my staff and I have developed based on many conversations we have had with different parties who love and use the Boulder-White Cloud region of Central Idaho.”
His statement continues, “The framework is broken into five different parts. Part one discusses economic development in central Idaho. Part two addresses issues affecting ranchers, miners, packers and property rights interests in the Boulder White Clouds area. Part three addresses the need for open roads, trails and access for sportsmen and the motorized recreation community including off road vehicles and snowmobiles. Part four discusses the creation of new wilderness areas within the Boulder-White Clouds and the release of those areas not included as wilderness while granting them special management status to be managed as the Boulder-White Clouds Recreation Management Area. Finally, part five discusses additional considerations that are important to those who use the area.”
More specifically, Simpson's plan proposes protection for at least 250,000-300,000 acres of the Boulder-White Clouds as wilderness divided by a controversial motorized trail. It does, however, call for the closure of another major existing motorized trail that would be included in the proposed Wilderness. The proposal for central Idaho also would transfer more than 1,000 acres of federal land to Idaho’s Custer County for potential development, and would authorize a buyout of ranchers' grazing allotments, among other provisions.
"This framework represents our best efforts at finding a positive, reasonable outcome for the management of the Boulder-White Clouds that benefits all users," Simpson said.
Conservationists have a number of serious concerns about Simpson’s plan and will be organizing people to attend the July 1 and 2 town hall meetings to request changes and major additions to the protected areas in the proposal. They did praise Simpson and his staff for their hard work on developing a proposal and advocating for some significant Wilderness protections. Linn Kincannon of the Idaho Conservation League said accepting a motorized trail cutting through the middle of the wilderness will be very hard. "We always said we'd never do it, but when you look at what they're giving us on the east side, ecologically, that's incredibly important," Kincannon said.
Background
The Boulder and White Cloud Mountain ranges stretch from Ketchum, Idaho almost 40 miles northward to the Salmon River in the heart of central Idaho. This expansive region is managed by the Sawtooth and Salmon-Challis National Forests and Bureau of Land Management. The Boulder-White Clouds embrace eight free-flowing rivers and their tributaries that provide habitat for salmon, steelhead and bull trout. Elk, mountain goats, Bighorn sheep, wolves, bear and eagles thrive in these wildlands. Debates on how and whether to protect this important area have spread over three decades.
Most recently, conservation groups have been working with Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) to develop a proposal to protect this wild landscape. They have also worked very hard to build in-state support for protecting the Boulder-White Clouds. For example, more than 130 Idaho businesses have expressed their support for officially protecting the Boulder White-Clouds as a Wilderness Area.
Congressman Mike Simpson and his staff have been talking to various stakeholders in the region to build a proposal that would protect Wilderness as well as provide for ongoing motorized recreation in other areas and economic development funds for nearby communities. Last summer, Congressman Simpson committed to introducing a bill that would designate Wilderness in the Boulder-White Clouds as part of a larger rural economic recovery and recreational plan. If successful, this would be the first Wilderness designated in Idaho in more than two decades.
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